Game Design (Greg Austic)

Game Design is a 30-page book geared towards teens.  Author Greg Austic defines games, discusses their value, and talks about elementary principles of game design.

Austic defines games by their elements, arguing that they all have rules, outcomes, and conditions for winning (or at least two of these three).  For the designer, he suggests playing lots of games and thinking critically about them (why are they fun- or not?), learning to love criticism and embrace failure as necessary steps, and keeping a journal to record impromptu ideas.

When ready to design your game, he suggests finding inspiration by:
- searching the Internet for ten examples of things you think look cool
- making a list of ten stories that invoke strong emotions in you (any emotion)
- writing down ten of your favorite games
When complete, choose one item from each group and contemplate making a game by combining them in some way.  Mix and match until you find one that's suitable, then refine your idea through prototypes and testing.

Game Design isn't a great book. It's far too short to meaningfully explore game design- even for teens- and the author is clearly not as experienced as others in this field.  But his suggestion for inspiration- especially making a list of stories- I found helpful.  That aside, you can skip this one.

Rating: C

Ant-man and the Wasp

Three years ago, we were introduced to Ant-man, the misunderstood criminal named Scott Lang seeking to amend his ways.  He's on house arrest now (thanks to his antics in Civil War), but his services are needed again.  Hank Pym, who realizes his wife may be alive in the quantum zone after going 'sub-atomic' 30 years ago, needs Lang's help . . . Scott must again to choose between obeying the law and doing what's right.

Like its predecessor, Ant-man and the Wasp is funny, lighthearted, and heartwarming in places.  It's not perfect- it has several morally gray characters, which I normally enjoy, but here it slows down the story and makes antagonist identification difficult (you're not always sure who you're rooting for or against).  But the humor outweighs the flaws, making this an enjoyable and refreshing experience (especially after the darkness of Infinity War).

Rating: B+

Fairy Tile

Today's review is of the 2018 release, Fairy Tile.  For 2-4 players, it takes 30 minutes.

Overview
Everyone has a story; in Fairy Tile, your job is to tell it.  You'll move characters (knight, princess, dragon) around an ever-growing board (map tiles consisting of mountains, rivers, forests, and castles) to do so.  Guiding you is your 'book'- a draw deck where each 'page' (card) has an objective, outlining conditions for completion.  Example: "the princess and knight meet in the forest."  If that's your objective, you must use your turns to maneuver those characters into that situation; once met, you complete that page and draw another.  First to complete all their objectives wins!

On your turn, you'll either develop your story or turn a page.
Develop your story: move a character (according to movement rules; see below) OR add a land tile to the map.  If your action completed an objective, 'recount your adventure' (read it out loud) and draw a new card. [Cards are kept secret until they're completed, so opponents don't know what you're trying to achieve.]

Turn a page: put your card on the bottom of your deck and draw another, giving you another objective in case the one you had was difficult (or impossible) to achieve.

some game components; image from here

Character movement is a key strategic element.  The princess can move only 1 space in any direction, but she can also 'jump' from castle to castle (like warping).  The knight moves exactly 2 spaces.  The dragon moves in a straight line, ending at the edge of the kingdom.


Review
I'm a sucker for modular boards- I love the variation it provides- but this game didn't do it for me.  The art is great, some mechanics are good, and the rules are simple, but it felt unsatisfying.  It may be due to:
- The 'tug-of-war' situations that can arise.  On your turn, you can move only one character, and each other player can do the same on their turns.  Thus, you may find yourself fighting over the same character in a rather annoying way until one person yields by 'turning a page' and trying another objective. 
- The different movement abilities. Two were good, but the dragon's "must end at edge of board" restriction got annoying fast, especially as the map grew. 

My kids enjoyed this, sort of, but they (and I) prefer other offerings.

Rating: C

Midterm Report

image from here

Wow, we're halfway through 2018 already.  Each year, I set and present my goals for the year in January.  Today I look at how I'm doing.

Use it or lose it
The year's focus is books and movies.  Hmmm. . . not much progress.  I do get rid of things, but buy (or am gifted) more.  I haven't done much here in my quest to use everything I own.

Grade: B-

Board Games
A 2018 goal is designing a board game.  Decent progress here; I've read several books on game design, kept a journal since January to jot down ideas as they come to me, and have started "Game Design Journal" posts.  I want to play a handful more games- ones that appear to have ideas I'd like to incorporate into mine- before I start extensive design work.

Grade: A-

Personal Spending & Budgeting
Status quo here.  My personal spending is within my budget, but I haven't been pacing myself well (I've spent most of it already).  On budgeting, we have yet to develop an effective tracking/budgeting system.  We've done better in some areas, but not in a systematic way.

Grade: C

Fitness
Workouts have been a mixed bag.  I've run very little, focusing my limited workout time at the gym.  Those sessions are going reasonably well- I've been building the back more (which has helped the minor left shoulder irritation that's plagued me for years), seen noticeable gains in strength (especially with the biceps, triceps, and trapezius).  But there are some downsides- less cardio means I feel fatter, and haven't lost any weight.  I've been convicted just this weekend of doing more core and upper-body flexibility exercises.  That, plus cardio, needs to be a focus for the rest of the year.

Grade: B

Nutrition
Need to improve here.  Made some minor gains (in lessening sweet intake).  But too much snack or fast food.  Goal: more fruit/veg, and dropping 15 lbs or bust!

Grade: C-

Reading
This has gone well; I'm on track to exceed my goal for the year, and am really enjoying the selections.

Grade: A

Spiritual
On my business trip, I do a good job with daily routine of prayer and scripture.  Other times, it's sporadic- generally get to it each day, but the time isn't quality.  Need more quality/consistency.

Grade: B-

Screen Time
My "no small screens" goal started really well through four months, but tailed off as I approached summer.  Need to get back to where I should be- it makes life so much better.

Grade: A-

Movies
I've made no progress in the goal to watch two 'classic' movies per month, but this is a goal I wouldn't mind failing.

Grade: D

Slow Down & Focus
Minimizing screen time has helped slow down and focus a bit more.  Need to continue in this vein- minimization in general seems to help.

Grade: B-

Parenting
Making some strides in being more kind towards the family.  But a long way remains.

Grade: B-

Overall
Nice to see results in some areas, but there's a long road ahead.

Grade: B-

Chance & Choice (GDJ 4)

"Man Writing" by Oliver Ray

Today's post looks at the two main elements of games: luck and strategy, or (enjoying alliteration) chance and choice. 

All games use some mixture of chance and choice to resolve the uncertain outcome inherent in them.

All games have what experts call 'uncertain outcome'- you don't know who will win when the game begins.  If you do- if the outcome is a 100% foregone conclusion- why play?

Players resolve a game's uncertain outcome by some combination of chance and choice. 
- Chance is something outside a player's control.  Common examples include rolling die, drawing a card from a shuffled deck, or even the actions of other players in the contest.  You do not know, and cannot predict, how a specific event will go during the contest until it occurs.
- Choice is something the player controls.  Common examples are choosing which piece to move in chess, deciding which card to play in Magic, or where to place a tile in Carcassonne.  To be a true choice, it must be meaningful.  This means two things:
1) it must make a difference in the game's outcome (choosing what color to be at game's start has no bearing on who wins)
2) it must be one of several viable options positioning the player win the game.  If one choice is always, and clearly, the best way to go, the player has no real choice- they take that path or lose.

Chance and choice are not an 'either/or'- a game can have much chance and much choice, all chance and no choice, or all choice and very little chance.*  Some examples; these are games with:
-much choice and little chance: Chess, Barony
-much chance and little choice: Chutes & Ladders, Sorry!
-lots of both: Magic, Isle of Skye

Note that high chance/low choice games are often (but not always) children's games.

I used to think minimizing chance was the goal of a game designer; I've since come to see the value of chance elements.  As noted in Characteristic of Games, chance increases the player pool (because it gives less experienced players a shot to win otherwise gained only by mastery), increases variety (you don't know what will happen), and increases suspense.  Of course, it's a balance; if there's too much chance and too little choice, what's the point of the game, and how can the winner claim achievement?  If there's too much choice and too little chance, will you find players willing to invest the time necessary to master the game?  This is a key area for the game designer- find the right balance.

Personally, I want to make a game heavy on both chance and choice.  Meaningful choices are so important, but I want chance, too.  Why? 
- Because life is like that.  You can make all the smart choices you like; you're still subject to the same 'chance' elements we all are, and learning how to react to life's surprises is a necessary skill to grow.  I want to capture that in a game, and the way to do it is through chance elements.  Star Wars Miniatures is a good example of this- you maximize your probability of a successful attack through smart character placement, but executing the attack requires rolling a d20.  The rules are such that any attack always has a 5% chance of success (that ewok will occasionally hurt Darth Vader), and 5% chance of failure (Vader won't always hit).  And related to this,
- Chance injects suspense and fun.  I recall many gaming sessions where it came down to a high-probability strike going awry; though exasperating, it's also exhilarating.  Games with little chance often lack the same waves of emotion.
- Chance elements help keep the game relevant for all players until the end.  Even if you're behind early on, some 'good luck' can keep you in the mix.

How about you- do you like chance or choice?

*all games have some chance, as I've defined it.  Player B's actions, from player A's perspective, are an element of chance, as they cannot be predicted.

World Cup Blues

That thud you heard was the German national team crashing out of the World Cup.  Winners in 2014 and favorites to repeat, "die Mannschaft" couldn't even escape their group, falling to a 1-0-2 record after a shock 2-0 loss to South Korea.  Even their lone victory (2-1 over Sweden) was by the skin of their teeth, and arguably a gift, as the last goal came late in overage time.  In their opener (a 1-0 loss to Mexico), they looked lethargic and apathetic.  Oi.

I started following the German team marginally in 2008 (during the Euro Cup), but in earnest in 2010 (World Cup).  I was smitten by their team-first, pass-happy style.  I love watching those crisp, accurate passes in quick succession (early in the Sweden game, they had passed 122 times . . . to Sweden's 6).  Though they consistently dominate possession, the Germans failed to find the net in two of their three games this time around.  Oh well.  It's a good reminder that the best team on paper means nothing; it must be earned.

Here is a link to the Bundesliga (German national soccer league) World Cup commentary.  The starting 11 for each game is shown below.  The lineup variation attests both to Germany's depth and their coach's exasperation in getting it all to 'click.'  Some amazing players (like 2014 heroes Andre Schurrle and Mario Gotze) were even left off the squad due to the level of competition.  But it was all for naught.  Though their 2018 experience was brief, and performance poor, I still enjoy watching them- especially Mats Hummels, my favorite defender.  Ultimately, the real shame (for me) is that this team isn't getting any younger, and with this world stage offered only every four years, it may be the last time many of them play to this audience.  But still, maybe next time, Deutschland.  Maybe next time.

Characteristics of Games (Elias et al)

Characteristics of Games is a college textbook by Richard Garfield (of Magic: the Gathering and King of Tokyo fame) and others.  Their goal is to look critically at and talk intelligently about games, investigating their 'guts' and giving the reader a vocabulary to articulate common characteristics.  It is "a framework for game analysis from the point of view of a game designer," looking at both systemic (rules-based) and agential (player-based) concepts.  Below is a summary, using their framework.

Summary

Basics include length of playtime, number of players, and units of gameplay length (from smallest unit of play [like a round] to a campaign [multiple games]).  Also important are heuristics- "rules of thumb that help [people] play a game," gaining mastery over time.  "For players to have fun, they need to have heuristics.  Human beings need to know if they are winning or losing, and they need to know what they want to do next."  But beware- if a player can determine heuristics perfectly, it means the game will be 'solved' ("always do X when Y occurs," etc.).  So maintaining some element of uncertainty in outcome is important (indeed, "uncertainty in outcome is at the heart of games").

Multiplayer Games have unique characteristics that can effectively change the way a game is played, to include:
- player elimination (allow early player exits or give everyone a chance to win until the end?)
- interactivity ("it's good for players to influence each other, because it makes the game more interesting.")
- politics (the ability of one or more players to 'gang up' and target another to affect the outcome; in some cases, you can think of this as a voting game, where players 'elect' the winner through their targeting choices)
- kingmaking (a person who cannot win deciding who will)
- teamwork (unique or balanced roles?  Either way, players must contribute)

Infrastructure are those basic systemic elements.  They include:
- Rules ("instructions telling players what actions they can take," with associated outcomes)
- Standards ("commonly accepted patterns many players are already familiar with")
- Outcomes (unique winner or ranking systems, etc.- what is the goal?)
- Ending Conditions (either by meeting a victory condition or being ahead when the end condition occurs)
- Positional Asymmetry (one player starting first, or has different courses of action available, etc.)
- Sensory Feedback (like visual, tactile, and audio information)

Games as Systems looks at how games break down into simpler elements.  Discussed:
- Abstract Subgames ("Games are often disguised versions of other games, or have other simpler games within them.")
- Snowball and Catch-Up (will a person in the lead tend to increase their lead or be challenged until the end?)
- Complexity Tree Growth and Game Arc (a game is a series of meaningful choices, so how many choices does a player have at the beginning/middle/end of a game?)
- Game Balance and Strategic Collapse (if one option in the complexity tree is better, people will always use it and the game will have no real strategy)

Indeterminacy plays a role in all games, to some degree.
- Randomness is "uncertainty in outcome," which is differently defined than "random elements" like dice rolls.  Randomness gets a bad rap by some, but games that lack luck "means that the only way to win is by devoting a great deal of effort to the game" to become an expert.  It has to be properly balanced; if it's too extreme, "players feel their choices don't matter" and it's harder to learn a game's heuristics.  But it can be good and grant increased competition, variety in gameplay (among other things, "luck causes odd situations to come up during the course of a game"), and psychological interest.
- Luck and Skill ("Luck decreases, not skill, but the returns to skill").  These two are orthogonal, meaning games can have large (or small) amounts of both.
- Hidden Information ("things about the game state not known to all players")

Player Effort is important to consider.  Things like:
- Costs (what does it take in money/time/space/effort/etc. to play, and is that worth it to participants)
- Rewards (includes things like joy from winning, satisfaction from playing well, enjoyment of challenge, escapism, social interaction, etc.)
- Downtime (how much do players have, and when, during the game?)
- Busywork ("rote activities that the player must perform, which are not part of what they would consider the fun of the game.")
- Reward/Effort Ratio (get it right or players won't play)

Superstructure includes things "outside" the game, like:
- Metagame (the "game outside the game," like learning to build a good Magic deck or studying what local players typically do)
- Conceit/Motif (the extended metaphor of the game- the theme, in a sense.  This includes story and narrative).  A game can be purely abstract all the way up to a full simulation.  Each point on the range has different pros and cons- full simulations are rarely fast (or easy), but simplified models may dissatisfy some)
- Spectation (how enjoyable a game is to watch)
- Customization (like house rules, handicaps, or building a Magic deck)
- Play lifetime (is the game content exhaustible?)

Review
This is a good book that brings up a lot of points to ponder on games, both for potential designers and serious fans of the hobby.  It helped me quantify and articulate why I like certain games (or elements of them)- very valuable as I continue on my quest to design one myself.  It's not always written well, and some definitions caught me off-guard (I questioned the authors' use of certain terms), but it's a valuable contribution to the field.

Rating: A